Digital content (photographs, audio recordings, etc.) produced by recording devices, such as cameras, audio recorders, digital evidence collection devices such as disk copiers and the like, are often “insecure” and are therefore “not trusted.” As a result use of content from digital recording devices are not supported in evidentiary fields, such as law enforcement, medical, insurance, and other related fields. Currently, many civil and criminal courts in the United States refuse to admit digital content from recording devices into evidence, because the digital content can be manipulated and is, therefore, not considered reliable. That is, digital content is easily manipulated through digital manipulation software. Thus, a user generally has full access to the digital content after they are recorded by a recording device, which provides the opportunity to tamper with and manipulate the digital content.
Detecting whether digital content has been tampered with is extremely difficult and expensive. Either an image tamper detection system or an expert witness is needed to examine the digital content and attempt to deduce whether the images are original or have been altered. However, many image tamper systems and experts are unable to confirm whether digital content has, in fact, been tampered with. Moreover, the need to use tamper detection systems and expert witnesses is expensive, typically nullifying any efficiency cost savings gained by using digital recording devices.
Many in professional fields that require trusted evidence, such as law enforcement, insurance, medical and other related fields, have invested in digital equipment, because they purported to offer (i) instant imagery (the big advantage of digital cameras is that making photos is both inexpensive and fast because there is no film processing), (ii) convenient means of reproducing copies of digital content, and (iii) less expense over time. In reality, the conveniences associated with digital equipment are of no worth in evidentiary professional fields, because of the ease by which digital evidence is mutable, and therefore, unsustainable before most evidentiary entities.